Daniel RiveroNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94The Public Insight Network is all about listening to you. It relies on your personal experiences and expertise. Click here to sign up and tell us a little about yourself. Your knowledge informs the newsroom. We'll send you an occasional email asking if you have personal experience or expertise on a story we are covering. The information goes to our Public Insight Network analyst, Katie Lepri, who will look for coverage ideas as well as potential sources. You may then be contacted with further questions or for a formal interview. Any information you provide is confidential and is not used for marketing, fundraising or advertising purposes. Anything you tell us will only be published with your permission by the Miami Herald Media Company, which includes El Nuevo Herald and WLRN. Learn more about our confidentiality and privacy policy. Below, take a look at the stories network participants have helped inform.NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Public Insight NetworkThu, 08 Jun 2017 04:07:01 +0000Public Insight Networkhttp://wlrn.org
Last week, the Miami-Dade County Commission approved the renaming of a library and a park in the suburb of West Kendall. They went from West Kendall to West End Regional Library and West End District Park. This renaming is part of a multi-year plan by District 11 Commissioner Juan Zapata to create an area called "West End." We received an overwhelming amount of feedback about this issue, most of it negative. Read some responses in the slideshow at the top of this post. Zapata cites a study he requested from Florida International University to explain the West End strategic plan. The study mentions investments in transportation, alternative transportation and new employment opportunities in the area. But after the library and park were renamed, most people we heard from opposed the motion, and any further rebranding of West Kendall. Many of the audience members who wrote us said they hadn't been informed about the measures. Zapata says he's been alerting his constituents throughout theOur Audience Responds To West Kendall Park, Library Renaminghttp://wlrn.org/post/our-audience-responds-west-kendall-park-library-renaming
58574 as http://wlrn.orgThu, 29 Oct 2015 05:13:43 +0000Our Audience Responds To West Kendall Park, Library RenamingWilson SayreBefore Hurricane Wilma hit Miami 10 years ago, the tall buildings in Brickell had never had to contend with anything like the more than 100 mph winds the storm brought. And while the buildings survived, their windows did not fare as well. Broken glass became one of lasting symbols of Wilma’s destruction. The morning after Wilma made landfall, Santi Gabino left his apartment near Dadeland to go to work at the Four Seasons Hotel in Brickell. On the way in, he thought about picking up a cup of coffee and a donut. “When I finally turned onto Brickell that’s what was shocking,” Gabino recalls. “I mean it literally looked like a bomb had gone off. There was just water as far as the eye could see, glass as far as the eye could see. But I hadn’t, at that point yet, looked up.” Above ground, the glistening buildings were pockmarked by missing glass. Buildings like the Greenburg Traurig and Espirito Santo buildings were missing dozens and dozens of windows. “I mean you could literally peer intoWindows Lost To Wilmahttp://wlrn.org/post/windows-lost-wilma
58434 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 26 Oct 2015 21:12:40 +0000Windows Lost To WilmaTom HudsonManny Miranda and R. David Paulison both grew up in South Florida. They grew up with the threat and reality of hurricanes. Both were here in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew cut a deadly swath through Miami-Dade County, Paulison as the chief of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue and Miranda overseeing the electrical power restoration in the communities devastated by Andrew. Thirteen years after Andrew, when Hurricane Wilma became the most intense cyclone formed in the Atlantic Ocean, they were in new leadership positions on the front lines of the response throughout South Florida. Wilma wasn't as powerful as Andrew, but she was much larger in size and capped off a historic two-year run of storms slamming into the U.S. -- mainly Florida. Wilma remains one of the five costliest hurricanes to hit the country, and it ushered in changes at the federal agency responsible for emergency response as well as how South Florida's electric utility protects its grid to withstand major storms better. FPL Miranda saysSouth Florida: Since Weathering Wilmahttp://wlrn.org/post/south-florida-weathering-wilma
58383 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 26 Oct 2015 03:15:21 +0000South Florida: Since Weathering WilmaJohn O'ConnorIn Brigette Kinney’s design class at Ada Merritt K-8 center in Miami, one of the key concepts is editing and revising ideas after getting feedback. Her 8 th graders create role-playing games based on books they read. Then they adjust the games after watching their classmates play. Kinney hopes Florida lawmakers will be as open to change as her students. “I feel that legislators are out of touch with what it means to be a good teacher,” she said. Kinney was talking about the new program called the “Best and Brightest Scholarships.” They're not actually scholarships. They're bonuses for teachers based on how they did on the SATs and ACTs. And they could get as much as $10,000. To get the money, teachers need to have scored in the top 20 percent when they took their college placement exams. They also have to have earned the state’s top teacher rating – “highly effective.” Lawmakers in Tallahassee earmarked $44 million in the state budget for the bonuses. But to get them, many teachers New Florida Teacher Bonus Program Draws Complaintshttp://wlrn.org/post/new-florida-teacher-bonus-program-draws-complaints
57701 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 12 Oct 2015 16:19:35 +0000 New Florida Teacher Bonus Program Draws ComplaintsRhaisa MilianFollowing two weeks of nationwide gun violence on school campuses, guns are becoming part of the conversation in Florida, too -- but in the form of legislation. This week, a bill was filed in Tallahassee to allow concealed weapons permit holders to carry guns in public. For nearly 20 years, Florida has prohibited the open carry of firearms but now the passage of the bill ( HB 163 ) in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee by an 8-4 vote may change that, despite resistance from critics. The passage of the bill through the subcommittee follows a mass shooting at a college in Oregon last week that left nine dead and nine wounded. The shooting was the deadliest in the state’s history. This Friday, two more shooting occurred at universities in Arizona and Texas . But gun rights advocates support the Florida bill and say it would help Floridians feel safer, while opponents say it would have the opposite effect. The bill is sponsored by State Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, who saysFlorida Roundup: Florida Legislature Moves Forward With Open Carry Gun Billhttp://wlrn.org/post/florida-roundup-florida-legislature-moves-forward-open-carry-gun-bill
57651 as http://wlrn.orgFri, 09 Oct 2015 23:18:11 +0000Florida Roundup: Florida Legislature Moves Forward With Open Carry Gun BillWilson SayreAbout half of the junk Floridians left out on the curb in 2013 went into landfills, the other half was either incinerated or recycled. But the state would like to see less trash headed to dumps—just 25 percent—by 2020. So counties and cities have been trying to figure out how to get people to recycle more and trash less. One of those experiments has been playing out in Hollywood for the past five years, and it has turned recycling into a game. Donna Greene is a Florida native, and recycling at her home in the Broward County city works pretty much like normal. She throws tin cans, newspapers and plastic bottles into a giant 64-gallon recycling bin, then rolls the junk to the curb. Eventually a big truck pulls up, grabs the bin with a mechanical lift, dumps it and drives away with the recycling. But on the front of the blue bins is a small circular chip. As that lift picks up the bin, it simultaneously weighs the contents and scans the chip. The more weight, the more points your housePaid For Your Plastichttp://wlrn.org/post/paid-your-plastic
57143 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 06 Oct 2015 15:30:56 +0000Paid For Your PlasticJulia DubaA Super Blood Moon, king tide and Hurricane Joaquin all came together this week to flood South Florida. The king tide and Sunday's supermoon brought several inches of water to Key West, Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale. Meanwhile, Hurricane Joaquin continues to rough up the surf off the coast of South Florida. This week, Miami hosted a three-day climate change session . It was organized by former Vice President Al Gore's organization Climate Reality Project. With about 1,200 attendees from around the world, the conference aimed at spurring groups to take action. How did the King Tide affect your daily routine? Tell us through our Public Insight Network . #KingTide Solutions - Think About It. Climate change is big business via @HeraldOpEd pic.twitter.com/YEfHDyOgJA — Luis Andre Gazitúa (@Gazi2a) September 30, 2015 #AOML & @FIU scientists are in #MiamiBeach to test water quality of #kingtide #floodwaters pic.twitter.com/tG8ym4198S — NOAA AOML (@NOAA_AOML) September 29, 2015 Who says Florida Roundup: South Florida Battles Floodinghttp://wlrn.org/post/florida-roundup-south-florida-battles-flooding
57212 as http://wlrn.orgSat, 03 Oct 2015 01:29:57 +0000 Florida Roundup: South Florida Battles FloodingJulia DubaMiami-Dade Commissioner Jose “Pepe” Diaz was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol last weekend in Key West – and the traffic stop was captured on video via body cameras. Key West cops began using the cameras this summer. Miami-Dade County was recently awarded funds from the Department of Justice to kickstart the program. West Palm Beach police are using police body cameras and favor the cameras because for one, it shows their point of view. Proponents say it sometimes it even helps deescalate situations when people are told they’re being recorded. We asked you the Public Insight Network if police should use body cameras, even if they are used on you during a stop or arrest: “I would be uncomfortable during my arrest if the police [officer] was not wearing a body camera or in some other way recording the event. The body camera is my assurance that the police are following the rules and respecting my rights as an accused person.” – Tom Nagle, Miami “As a law enforcement Florida Roundup: Police Body Cameras In South Floridahttp://wlrn.org/post/florida-roundup-police-body-cameras-south-florida
56876 as http://wlrn.orgFri, 25 Sep 2015 20:47:59 +0000 Florida Roundup: Police Body Cameras In South FloridaChabeli HerreraThe first three days of Pope Francis' whirlwind binational trip took him to the home of a world famous communist leader and through the streets of a little-known Cuban town. The pope's message of embracing change found its literal representation in the further opening of Cuba, which has spent decades shrouded in secrecy, to media outlets and TV screens worldwide. His three-day visit to the communist island ended Tuesday and was immediately followed by his arrival in Washington, D.C. and a welcome from President Obama. It is the first U.S. visit for the 78-year-old pope. The highly anticipated first leg of his journey included an exchange of gifts with former Cuban leader Fidel Castro, a visit to Santiago de Cuba and Holguin, and a meeting with 5,000 youths. Friday morning, some South Florida Cuban Americans packed their bags and headed to Havana to see a pope on Cuban soil for the first time in 17 years. Others watched from local churches or at home. In Cuba, facades were repainted,The Sounds Of Pope Francis' Visit To Cubahttp://wlrn.org/post/sounds-pope-francis-visit-cuba
56685 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 22 Sep 2015 22:36:06 +0000The Sounds Of Pope Francis' Visit To CubaChabeli HerreraJust as Cuba prepares for its first papal visit in 17 years -- one laden with questions of human rights, religious devotion and the future of normalizing relations -- the Obama administration released a new set of trade rules Friday morning in an effort to further thaw in U.S.-Cuba relations. The rules will take effect Monday , and aim to weaken the U.S. trade embargo imposed on the island nation since 1962. . @TimPadgett2 says fact that regulations announced now give movement of Obama administration to end embargo more momentum #FloridaRoundup — WLRN Public Media (@WLRN) September 18, 2015 The new rules will focus on facilitating business transactions between the two countries by easing travel restrictions and allowing some businesses to operate offices on the island -- for authorized purposes only. Airlines, cruises won't need individual license to go to Cuba, Americans can open bank accounts in new easing of regulations #FloridaRoundup — WLRN Public Media (@WLRN) September 18, 2015The Florida Roundup: White House Eases Cuba Regulations On Eve Of Pope's Arrivalhttp://wlrn.org/post/florida-roundup-white-house-eases-cuba-regulations-eve-popes-arrival
56489 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 21 Sep 2015 13:32:54 +0000The Florida Roundup: White House Eases Cuba Regulations On Eve Of Pope's ArrivalChabeli HerreraPope Francis' arrival in Cuba was met at Havana's Plaza de la Revoluci ón by 300,000 spectators who braved the heat Sunday morning to hear the Holy Father deliver Mass and talk about the need to serve. "The importance of one person is always based on how they serve the frailty of their brothers," the pope told the assembled crowd. "In this we find one of the true fruits of humanity. Because, brothers and sisters, those who don't live to serve, do not have a life worth living." Many waved Cuban or Vatican flags during the service, which is the first leg of a 10-day U.S.-Cuba trip. The trip -- and the pope's words -- carry political undertones, said Carrie Kahn, NPR's international correspondent, who is covering the pope's trip to the island. "In his gestures and some of his words, he has a political agenda, too," Kahn said. "So I think people are interpreting what they want from this visit and you're getting a little bit of it all. " Pope Francis and former Cuban leader Fidel Castro hadPope Francis' Visit Means More Than Religion To Cubanshttp://wlrn.org/post/pope-francis-visit-means-more-religion-cubans
56571 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 21 Sep 2015 01:56:24 +0000Pope Francis' Visit Means More Than Religion To CubansTom HudsonBetween a neighbor's leaf blower and planes overhead taking off from Miami International Airport, it's hard to hear Jorge Artiles describe the home on Northwest 34th Street. It's rundown with pockmarks on its stucco exterior. An iron bar door is padlocked with a realtor's lockbox. Bars run across the windows, too, which are boarded up with plywood. The green paint on the concrete front step has been worn away. Yet, this home is among those Artiles and the company he works with, InvestQuest, have purchased in this older neighborhood, betting the real estate boom in the Design District and Wynwood will migrate west. According to Artiles, they plan to invest another $40,000 in repairs and hope to rent it for $1,800 a month. It would take an annual income of $54,000 to afford that comfortably. The average income is about half that, according to U.S. Census Bureau data . In a Miami Herald analysis , Allapattah is among the neighborhoods with affordable prices and fast-rising values. As the How Much Home Can South Florida Afford?http://wlrn.org/post/how-much-home-can-south-florida-afford
56554 as http://wlrn.orgSun, 20 Sep 2015 15:09:09 +0000 How Much Home Can South Florida Afford?Mark SteinEarlier this summer, Miami Heat fans worrie d shooting guard Dwyane Wade might leave the Magic City. Only a few weeks after he opted out of his contract, though, news broke in July that Wade and the Heat had agreed to a one-year, $20 million deal. Many fans were ecstatic. But it’s reasonable to wonder if Wade is really worth that much at this point in his career. He was drafted in 2003, and at 34 years old, has already played 12 seasons in the NBA. He missed a quarter of last year’s games due to injury, and even more the year before that. And his performance on the court has declined over the past few seasons. Even so, clearly the Heat have decided this is an investment worth making, even in a sport with a salary cap, where more money for one player means less for others. So what are you really paying for when you keep an aging athlete like Dwyane Wade? Wade has long represented an important figure in Miami life and culture. He played a major part in three different championshipHow Much Is Dwyane Wade Worth?http://wlrn.org/post/how-much-dwyane-wade-worth
54343 as http://wlrn.orgFri, 18 Sep 2015 17:17:57 +0000How Much Is Dwyane Wade Worth?By the time Don Francisco holds his final on-air singing contest this last Sábado Gigante , on Sept. 19, many a Spanish-speaking household in the U.S. -- and most of Latin America -- will have at some point noted the longevity of his show. Generations of Latinos have laughed and cried with Mario Kreutzberger in character as host of the 53-year-old variety show. Don Francisco's on-screen jingles, wig changes and sentimental family reunification segments (yes) have survived the days of Bob Barker and Sonny & Cher. Sábado Gigante is the longest-running variety show on TV to date. Its old-school sensibilities have not faltered (neither have its machista presentations of women on screen). Nonetheless, the show is a mainstay of modern Latin culture -- such that English-language media across the country are saying farewell, too. But no need to look that far for going-away thoughts. The show is taped in Miami, and viewers in South Florida shared their feelings with us this week. We'veAdiós, Sábado Gigante. Yours, South Florida.http://wlrn.org/post/adi-s-s-bado-gigante-yours-south-florida
56440 as http://wlrn.orgFri, 18 Sep 2015 05:21:24 +0000Adiós, Sábado Gigante. Yours, South Florida.Tom HudsonHow South Florida gets around, or doesn't, is increasingly a matter of public debate. Climbing commuting times, more tolls and long-promised but never delivered public transportation projects like BayLink are pushing our collective patience. It costs commuters money and costs the economy lost productivity. As the region has grown across political boundaries, transportation planning has not kept pace. In South Florida, there are two Florida Department of Transportation districts and three Metropolitan Planning Organizations. There are county-wide bus systems, trolley networks in smaller cities and two rail systems, one serving Miami-Dade County exclusively, the other stretching across Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. There's an expressway authority designed to pay for its roads. There's a separate toll agency for other highways. The entrenched taxi industry is fighting against transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft, which are making inroads even though localThe Sunshine Economy: Transportation In South Floridahttp://wlrn.org/post/sunshine-economy-transportation-south-florida
56170 as http://wlrn.orgSun, 13 Sep 2015 19:03:41 +0000The Sunshine Economy: Transportation In South FloridaJulia DubaEverglades National Park is finalizing a plan that’s designed to update the way it is managed. Some key changes to how the park will operate include different zoning regulations, which in some cases have eliminated the use of airboats. The park worked on these rules for 12 years. It'll be the newest set since 1979. "There's been significant changes in the recent decades since the last plan," says Fred Herling, Everglades National Park planner. "Population growth, demographic changes, new technology, new exotic plants and animals." The rules will be finalized and go into effect in about 30 days, and will be the guidelines under which the Park operates for the next 20 to 30 years. Listen above for the Florida Roundup segment discussing the new rules in the Everglades.Florida Roundup: Everglades National Park Rolls Out New Ruleshttp://wlrn.org/post/florida-roundup-everglades-national-park-rolls-out-new-rules
55809 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 07 Sep 2015 13:07:21 +0000Florida Roundup: Everglades National Park Rolls Out New RulesJulia DubaLast weekend h urricane Danny strengthened to a Category 3 major storm with winds at 115 mph. It's now down to a tropical depression . While Florida hasn't seen a major storm since Hurricane Wilma blew through in 2005, Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Bryan Koon says residents should prepare every year right around May. After 10 years of dodging storms, Florida residents who are policyholders of Citizens Property Insurance may be getting dropped. Citizens plans to hand over 280,000 at-risk policyholders to private insurers to ease the burden on the state. (Hear that discussion in the audio above.) Some Public Insight Network members in South Florida shared how they prepare for the possibility of a storm landing in South Florida: “We take storm planning seriously when a tropical storm develops and South Florida is in the cone of possibility. Most of my batteries are out of date since we haven't had a storm here in so long. Tomorrow we will check batteries, replenishFlorida Roundup: When Do You Prep For A Storm?http://wlrn.org/post/florida-roundup-when-do-you-prep-storm
55111 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 24 Aug 2015 17:29:36 +0000Florida Roundup: When Do You Prep For A Storm?Julia DubaJust 90 miles south of Key West, the U.S. flag was raised in Cuba to mark the opening of the American embassy in Havana -- 54 years after it was closed. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry spoke at a small ceremony, speaking about the island's future and the relationship between the two countries. "Cuba's future is for the Cuban people to shape," Kerry said. Meanwhile in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood, emotions ran high as critics and supporters of the move clashed at a street protest. Listen to Kenny Malone's report below: Cuban dissidents were not present at the ceremony, "because that is a government to government moment with very limited space," said Kerry in an interview with NBC's Jose Diaz-Balart. "We are having the reception later in the day in which we can have a cross section of civil society including some dissidents." With relations thawing between the U.S. and Cuba, the question now turns to whether the Cuban embargo will be lifted . Below is our broadcast andFlorida Roundup: U.S. Embassy Opens In Havanahttp://wlrn.org/post/florida-roundup-us-embassy-opens-havana
54751 as http://wlrn.orgFri, 14 Aug 2015 17:09:44 +0000Florida Roundup: U.S. Embassy Opens In HavanaElaine ChenGoing into your family's profession probably gives you an advantage over the average newbie: you know the ins and outs, have connections in the industry, and maybe even got some on-the-job experience. The same advantage holds true for elected office. Before Miami City Commissioner Francis Suarez and Miami-Dade School Board member Raquel Regalado ran for office, they spent many years in the public eye because their fathers were politicians. Both Suarez and Regalado count that time as valuable experience. Raquel Regalado was in her early 20s when her father Tomas Regalado won his seat as a commissioner for the city of Miami. She had been in the spotlight already as the daughter of two journalists, but when she opened the Miami Herald one day, she quickly realized that being the daughter and chief of staff of a politician was entirely different. Tomas Regalado later became Mayor of the City of Miami. Commissioner Francis Suarez at one point challenged Tomas Regalado for the mayor’s officeThe Importance Of A Name In South Florida Politicshttp://wlrn.org/post/importance-name-south-florida-politics
31732 as http://wlrn.orgTue, 06 May 2014 19:00:43 +0000The Importance Of A Name In South Florida PoliticsElaine ChenFor two months each year,160 men and women elected by Florida voters gather in Tallahassee to make state policies. Everyday during this final week of the legislative session, WLRN-Miami Herald News will be reporting and examining what Florida lawmakers have accomplished, what’s been ignored, and how it will affect you for our special Session 2014: The Sunshine Edition. To kickstart our special, we begin with the one thing the legislature has to do every session: pass a budget. Representatives Katie Edwards (D-Plantation) and Jose Felix Diaz (R-Miami) unpack the $75 billion questions. With all that money, lobbyists are busy in this last week as well. WLRN-Miami Herald News' Gina Jordan gives us a profile of long-time lobbyist Jack Cory. How is lobbying actually done? South Florida lobbyist Ron Book joins Integrity Florida's Dan Krassner to explain the misconceptions and discuss whether Florida gets a bad rap for corruption. Perhaps no GOP governor has staked his re-election as much onSession 2014: The Sunshine Edition - The Business Of Politicshttp://wlrn.org/post/session-2014-sunshine-edition-business-politics
31453 as http://wlrn.orgMon, 28 Apr 2014 03:36:04 +0000Session 2014: The Sunshine Edition - The Business Of Politics